I count 10 different small computers -- tablets, convertibles, Ultrabooks, and otherwise -- that are ready for Windows 8, not five. They're all available now in the United States, although one of the Surface RT versions was out of stock for a couple of weeks right around launch time.
Plenty of new designs won't make it in time for the holidays. A host of IdeaPad Yoga 13 versions ($999 for i3 with $100 discount) will be out early next year. The Lenovo ThinkPad 2 ($699, keyboard extra) won't ship until next year. The Asus VivoTab TF810C is running late, as well as the HP Envy x2 Touchscreen.
Six weeks ago, when Windows 8 hit General Availability, Galen Gruman put together a slideshow that featured innovative Windows 8 hardware designs. Here's where they stand, as we head into the final holiday shopping sprint:
- Lenovo ThinkPad Twist: Available now in the Microsoft Store
- Asus Taichi, the two-screen marvel: Not yet in stores. Lots of rumors about availability and price, no facts
- Acer Aspire S7: Available now in Microsoft Store
- HP ElitePad 900 with Productivity Jacket: Currently expected to launch the first week in January; Emirates Airline has already ordered a thousand of them for cabin crew
- Dell XPS 12 with rotating wire frame: Available now on the Dell site
- Toshiba Satellite U925t: Available now from many retailers
- Panasonic AX series: There were sightings in October, but no solid news since
While Windows 8 certainly isn't driving up PC sales, and I expect the Metro Grinch to steal Christmas, the problem doesn't lie with availability of Windows 8 machines. There are plenty of them -- and many innovative designs are in the mix.
This story, "Windows 8 tablets and PCs begin to trickle out," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.